1999-5-20 09:21:00
Question: What are the three most important things we can do to prepare for the great decision, so when the day comes we will choose correctly?
I enjoyed your comments on this question. As readers pointed out through their comments, the number of things we can do to prepare for the great decision is much more than three. Nevertheless, I often stress the three major points of a principle, to give focus to the answer. The average person can keep three points in focus much better than a dozen.
Gary deserves a gold star today for his thoughtful response on this.
(1) The first thing we can do to prepare for the great decision is to follow the highest that we know.
Both Dave and Gary gave answers in this direction. Gary pointed out that we often do not trust ourselves and let ourselves be too influenced by people we associate with, especially people we love.
How often is it that we know the right direction to take, and then we let someone we are close to, to plant doubts in our minds and distract us from the light ahead?
The ancient statement of "keeping your mind steady in the light" applies here. Once we know a thing is right and true, we must never betray that truth, even if the whole world takes an opposing course.
(2) Seek to become pure in heart, and become he who has pure intent.
Question: Almost everyone believes they have pure intent. It is easy for us to see deceptive intent in others, but difficult to see it in ourselves. Why is this so, and what can we do about it? What is the "blind spot" in the physical eye, and is there a corresponding blind spot in our spiritual eyes? How can we see through the blind spot?
(3) Seek to look beyond the universe of Self, and cause that your actions benefit the whole, with the realization that the self will be more fully realized in the long run.
Question: Is the putting of Self first, taught anywhere in new age philosophies as well as old time religion? Give examples.
Copyright 1999 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved